Lancero, 7.25" x 38 ring gauge / $7, Silo Cigars
Information...I want information! Unfortunately, info from the manufacturer is pretty hard to come by at the moment I sit down to write this review. Apparently this cigar does not officially debut widely until the IPCPR show, which happens a couple weeks from when I am writing this, but was a week ago from when you are reading this. Several stores apparently got early shipments, though, including Silo Cigars in Knoxville, TN, where I bought this (and the Robusto of the blend that I smoked earlier) over a month before the big show. Enough time bending, though...I was impressed with the PDR 1878 Capa Madura last year, so I decided to give this PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Oscura (say that five times fast) a try. Barry over at acigarsmoker.com reviewed the Robusto back in January, so I'm borrowing blend info from him...this is a Dominican Puro featuring Corojo, Habano, and Criollo 98 fillers, Habano binder and a Habano Oscuro wrapper.
This is a beautifully presented cigar. From the ultra-tight pigtail cap to the fold over foot, the cigar shows tradition and high standards. The leaf was oily and as dark as you would expect from something labeled "Oscura"...with even darker mottling. The bands are the same design as the Madura version, but red instead of black, making it easy to pick out at a glance. The wrapper has an aroma of earth along with a hint of woodiness; with the wrapper folded over the foot, there is really no difference in the aroma there. I used a Xikar Xi to cut the epically tight pigtail from this Lancero and was rewarded with a draw that was very free and had tons of cocoa powder flavor along with a little coffee bean and earthiness. The cold draw was very tasty, but I couldn't review the stick based on that alone...it was time to burn!
Unsweetened cocoa powder came through loud and clear on initial puffs of the Capa Oscura. The retrohale was chock full of the aroma of roasted nuts and imparted a sharp peppery burn as well. As I continued to puff away, I got a rich, strong black coffee note and a touch of sweetness to balance it out. Within a couple minutes the cigar was exhibiting a characteristic I have seen on every other PDR 1878 I've smoked: chugging out smoke like it's a contest. Not that they burn really fast or anything, but the owner of Silo Cigars confirmed for me that it's a nightmare when 10 guys light these up at the same time...the smoke eater has trouble keeping up with it! He's actually had people think his car is on fire while smoking one of these while driving. The flavor kept bouncing back and forth from earthy to more cocoa powder to coffee bran and back around again...all in that more bitter range, with just a little sweetness.
During the second third I started to get more vegetal/herbal notes, although the dominant flavors were still rather earthy. Smoke production was churning right along; the plume was thick and creamy and if it hadn't been breezy, it may have threatened to choke me. Construction was great so far, featuring a consistently good draw, very even burn line and ash that held on for nearly an inch at a time.
The herbal notes went away during the final third, leaving just more earth, cocoa powder and coffee. This wasn't the most complex flavor profile in a cigar, but it was uniformly very good and I enjoyed it. In terms of body, I would say somewhere in the medium to full range, with just enough nicotine strength to remind you that you're smoking a tobacco product. I couldn't recommend this for newer smokers, but more experienced aficionados might really enjoy this if the flavor profile is in their wheelhouse. The price doesn't hurt, either, with the entire line being very reasonable. In the end a very nice smoke at a very nice price.
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
Information...I want information! Unfortunately, info from the manufacturer is pretty hard to come by at the moment I sit down to write this review. Apparently this cigar does not officially debut widely until the IPCPR show, which happens a couple weeks from when I am writing this, but was a week ago from when you are reading this. Several stores apparently got early shipments, though, including Silo Cigars in Knoxville, TN, where I bought this (and the Robusto of the blend that I smoked earlier) over a month before the big show. Enough time bending, though...I was impressed with the PDR 1878 Capa Madura last year, so I decided to give this PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Oscura (say that five times fast) a try. Barry over at acigarsmoker.com reviewed the Robusto back in January, so I'm borrowing blend info from him...this is a Dominican Puro featuring Corojo, Habano, and Criollo 98 fillers, Habano binder and a Habano Oscuro wrapper.
This is a beautifully presented cigar. From the ultra-tight pigtail cap to the fold over foot, the cigar shows tradition and high standards. The leaf was oily and as dark as you would expect from something labeled "Oscura"...with even darker mottling. The bands are the same design as the Madura version, but red instead of black, making it easy to pick out at a glance. The wrapper has an aroma of earth along with a hint of woodiness; with the wrapper folded over the foot, there is really no difference in the aroma there. I used a Xikar Xi to cut the epically tight pigtail from this Lancero and was rewarded with a draw that was very free and had tons of cocoa powder flavor along with a little coffee bean and earthiness. The cold draw was very tasty, but I couldn't review the stick based on that alone...it was time to burn!
Unsweetened cocoa powder came through loud and clear on initial puffs of the Capa Oscura. The retrohale was chock full of the aroma of roasted nuts and imparted a sharp peppery burn as well. As I continued to puff away, I got a rich, strong black coffee note and a touch of sweetness to balance it out. Within a couple minutes the cigar was exhibiting a characteristic I have seen on every other PDR 1878 I've smoked: chugging out smoke like it's a contest. Not that they burn really fast or anything, but the owner of Silo Cigars confirmed for me that it's a nightmare when 10 guys light these up at the same time...the smoke eater has trouble keeping up with it! He's actually had people think his car is on fire while smoking one of these while driving. The flavor kept bouncing back and forth from earthy to more cocoa powder to coffee bran and back around again...all in that more bitter range, with just a little sweetness.
During the second third I started to get more vegetal/herbal notes, although the dominant flavors were still rather earthy. Smoke production was churning right along; the plume was thick and creamy and if it hadn't been breezy, it may have threatened to choke me. Construction was great so far, featuring a consistently good draw, very even burn line and ash that held on for nearly an inch at a time.The herbal notes went away during the final third, leaving just more earth, cocoa powder and coffee. This wasn't the most complex flavor profile in a cigar, but it was uniformly very good and I enjoyed it. In terms of body, I would say somewhere in the medium to full range, with just enough nicotine strength to remind you that you're smoking a tobacco product. I couldn't recommend this for newer smokers, but more experienced aficionados might really enjoy this if the flavor profile is in their wheelhouse. The price doesn't hurt, either, with the entire line being very reasonable. In the end a very nice smoke at a very nice price.
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
0 comments:
Post a Comment